Food

A few years ago, I started drinking smoothies every morning and noticed a BIG difference in my skin. Sure, we can slather on serums and wear hydrating masks to get better looking skin, but one of the easiest and most holistic ways to better your skin lies in what you eat. I love you all and want you to have radiant skin so I’ve conjured up a bunch of delicious, skin-beautifying concoctions from my very own fridge!

The Ultimate Green Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 cup romaine lettuce

1 cup spinach

1 handful of parsley

3 celery stalks

1/2 cup of cucumber, chopped

1 apple, cored

1/2 of an avocado

2 small pieces of raw ginger

Strawberry Chocolate Goodness

Ingredients:

1 Cup Coconut Water

1/2 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)

1 banana

2 tbsp. raw cacao powder

1 tbsp. maca powder

1 cup milk or almond milk

1 handful chocolate chips

Banana Lovin’

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut water

1 banana

1 cup milk of your choice

1 cup fresh spinach

Blueberry Detox

Ingredients:

12 oz. almond milk or nut milk of choice

1/2 banana

1/2 avocado

1-2 dates

1 handful of blueberries

Clear Skin Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 glass of cold coconut milk

1 glass coconut water

1 tbsp. acai powder

1 tbsp. goji berries

1 tbsp. raw cacao powder

1 tbsp. chia seeds

What are your favourite smoothies? Share them in the comments section below 🙂

I am a foodie and not ashamed to admit that I can eat more than my boyfriend. He often teases me about how much I can eat but when it comes to delicious desserts, I’m not shy to dig right in. During my most recent trip to Toronto, I decided to try Dlish cupcakes after reading so many great online reviews.

Dlish offers freshly baked cupcakes every day of the week! They have a flavour schedule you can check out before you go in and find that your favourite cupcake isn’t available until tomorrow. All of their cupcakes are handmade right before your eyes!

A variety of cupcakes are made every morning with pure Madagascar vanilla, bittersweet Belgian chocolate, Argentine milk caramel, sweet butter, fresh carrots, ripe strawberries, natural citrus zests and rich chocolate sprinkles from France to create their original artisan cupcakes and creamy frostings. Dlish offers scratch-baked desserts that are handcrafted without preservatives, gelatine, artificial flavours or hydrogenated oils and are baked on-site in small batches throughout the day.

One of the most important things that I noticed about this gourmet shop is the presentation! The simplicity and design of each and every cupcake drew me right in!

I had the chance to try the chocolate cupcake which features pure chocolate sprinkles imported from France, Belgian chocolate cake and Belgian chocolate frosting. This flavour is available every day for those of you who can’t resist chocolate.

Dlish also offers customized decorations for your cupcakes for any occasion in mind.

Are you drooling yet? If so, next time you’re on West Queen Street or Yorkville in Toronto, don’t forget to check out this gourmet bakery! They were voted best cupcake in Toronto for a reason! Most importantly, the staff was very friendly and was willing to explain and answer any questions that I had. Thank you so much! 🙂

I always treat myself after a long day of work and trying a cupcake at Dlish was certainly the best way to go during my last trip to Toronto.

I’ve always wanted to make a Thai dish but I wasn’t always confident to actually do it . I decided to just go for it and indulge in something new without worrying if I’d mess it up. Ordering pizza wasn’t a backup plan this time around, I knew I could make this and really enjoy it! The dish turned out delicious and I just had fun with it! As a side, I sautéed some brussels sprouts and let me tell you, if you cook them the right way, you just might like them!

What You’ll Need for the Main Dish:

Spaghetti noodles or any noodles of your choice

1 pound of frozen and peeled shrimp

1 cup of baby carrots cut into small chunks

1/4 cup of green onions sliced

1 Head of broccoli

1/4 cup of ginger

1 bell red pepper chopped

1/4 cup of onions

4 garlic cloves minced

1 tsp. of black pepper

1 tsp.of salt

3 tablespoons of black sesame seeds

1 bottle of sweet thai sauce you can find at the grocery store

For the side:

1 cup of brussels sprouts

2 tsp. of olive oil

1 tsp. of cinnamon

1 tsp. of black pepper

1 tsp.of salt

Directions for the Main Dish:

In a large pot, bring water to a boil and then add the spaghetti noodles.

Chop all of your vegetables and set aside.

In a medium skillet and on medium heat, add the olive oil, garlic, onions, and ginger, sauté until they are soft.

Add the rest of the vegetables to the pan (carrots, broccoli, red pepper and green onions).

Add the shrimp and simmer on medium heat with the lid on for 10-15 minutes occasionally stirring everything.

Add all of the spices (salt, pepper, etc).

Add the black sesame seeds.

Add the sweet thai sauce and allow to cook for 10 minutes.

Directions for the Side:

Wash and chop up the brussels sprouts.

In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium high.

Add the brussels sprouts.

Season with all of the spices listed above and stir frequently for 8-10 minutes.

The holidays are just around the corner and sometimes we get super busy working, planning parties or taking care of last minute shopping which leaves us with little time to bake. This easy recipe is perfect for people who still wish to offer their friends and family a delicious treat made at home. I love this recipe because the red and green M&M’s add to the festive look and did I mention that they are super chewy?

To add on top of the cookies once they’re finished baking, you’ll need 1 cup of the Christmas M&M’s.

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix together the softened butter, white sugar and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat in the eggs one at a time and then add the vanilla extract. Dissolve the baking soda in hot water. Add to the batter along with the salt. Stir in the flour and the chocolate chips.

3. Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges look golden.

4. Add the Christmas M&M’s to the top of the cookies once they’re baked.

This is such an easy recipe that makes for a festive snack for you and your guests!

Lasagna has to be one of my favourite meals. You all know that I don’t like spending more time than I have to in the kitchen. This looks like it would be hard to make but it’s actually really easy.

Ingredients:

1 pound extra lean ground beef (if you are not a vegetarian)

1 medium white onion, finely minced

2 jars of spaghetti sauce

4 chopped mushrooms (optional)

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 handfuls of fresh spinach

2 cups of ricotta cheese

2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese

9 no cook lasagna noodles

Easy Steps:

In a large frying pan, cook the beef and onions over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Add the garlic, basil and oregano and the spaghetti sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low; cover and let it simmer for 10 minutes. (For Vegetarians: this will take less time)

2. Spread the sauce into a 13 -in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with three noodles. Spread ricotta on top of the noodles, add the sauce, mozzarella and spinach on top as well. Repeat layers the same way. Top with the remaining noodles, ricotta cheese, sauce, mozzarella cheese and spinach. For the top, add extra mozzarella cheese.

3. Cover the lasagna with tin foil and bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake for another 10 minutes or until bubbly. Take out the lasagna from the oven and let it cool for ten minutes before cutting. Makes 12 servings.

This is a great dinner option and the best part is you may still have leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

Stuck in a mid week dinner rut? This is a quick and easy meal to make. I find myself craving this all of the time! If you feel like staying in for a change, this is something you can’t mess up, it’s that easy! You can make this with grilled chicken or as a veggie pita with hummus if you are a vegetarian.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

4 boneless skinless chicken breast

1 tablespoon of poultry seasoning

Salt and pepper (1 tablespoon of each)

1 tablespoon of dry mustard

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

1/2 a cup of Olive Oil

Medium frying pan

Toppings of choice (tomatoes, lettuce, onions, etc)

Can of hummus if you prefer a vegetarian wrap

FOR THE SAUCE (If you are making with Chicken):

Mayonnaise

Paprika

Ranch Dressing

Parsley Flakes

METHOD:

Oil a medium sized pan with the olive oil

Stove should be at medium heat

Place the chicken into the pan, let it cook for 5 minutes before adding all of the spices

Looking for a quick dinner idea? Lemon Pepper Salmon is a light and healthy meal option you can have on the table in under 30 minutes. Fresh buttery, rich tasting salmon is topped with fresh slices of lemon. Baked in the oven this is so easy to make, it just may become your new “go-to” favourite salmon recipe.

I love staying in and preparing a healthy meal at home. Staying in, watching a good movie and eating a delicious meal is always a great idea. I love salmon because it is a good source of Omega-3 so I decided to share this recipe with you. As you can see in the picture above, I added shrimp to the mix as well as garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus and rice! This is definitely a quick and healthy meal for you to enjoy.

INGREDIENTS:

2 salmon fillets (approx. 6 oz. each ,skin on)

1/4 teaspoon of salt

2 cloves of garlic diced

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 tablespoon of salted butter

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

4 lemon wedges

Fresh parsley, if desired

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 35oF

Rinse salmon and pat dry with a paper towel

Arrange salmon on a foil, skin side down

Add the butter to both fillets

Sprinkle the salt, pepper and fresh parsley

Add the diced garlic

Add the lemon juice and the lemon wedges to the top of the salmon

Bake until salmon is cooked through to your liking or for approximately 15-20 minutes

Allow the salmon to cool for 5 minutes (outside of the oven) before serving. (Salmon will continue to cook during this time so keep this in mind when removing salmon from the oven)

Serve with a side of your choice, I prefer rice and garlic mashed potatoes alongside grilled asparagus

Simple and quick!

Enjoy!

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Meet Yvonne

Hello & welcome!

My name is Yvonne, I'm a Digital Marketing Strategist living in Canada!

I love to blog about fashion, beauty, travel and social media growth!

I currently work as a social media manager helping businesses, brands, and individuals grow their online presence.

I hope that you leave this site with either a newly learned skill, an idea, or a feeling of confidence or encouragement.